January Theme:
A Well-Reasoned Clinical Approach to Obesity Management
"I suggest we take a clinical approach toward our obesity. management. When we lose weight we put obesity in remission. When we gain weight obesity is in relapse. As intelligent beings we can take an active role in managing our remission by using our experience and the knowledge we glean from others. We can return to the behaviors that worked shortly after surgery to help us lose weight." ~ Kaye Bailey
Refresher: Definitions
relapse: noun. Recurrence of disease after apparent recovery. An early sign of obesity relapse is weight gain.
remission: noun. Abatement of signs and symptoms of disease. An early sign of obesity remission is weight loss. |
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2nd Edition New 2012
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"Keep learning. Use the 5 Day Pouch Test and beyond to continue your education about health, nutrition, weight management, and living after weight loss surgery. Continued education works to keep us informed, trying new things, and renewed hope that lasting remission from our medical disorder is achievable. Seek knowledge from reputable publications and from peers. This process of support and learning becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as we benefit from the give-and-take of a generous spirit. Learn, teach, and share.
We are in this together."
Page 29 - 5DPT Manual
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Make the 5DPT About Learning
If we complete the 5 Day Pouch Test having learned a few things about our self, our weight loss surgery and our capability in managing life and weight loss surgery in relationship to one another we have succeeded: we can deem the 5 Day Pouch Test a success. Here are some things to consider while treating the 5DPT as a learning experience: -- What can I eat that gives my pouch a feeling of fullness? What do I eat that fails to give my pouch a feeling of fullness? -- Have the liquid restrictions become automatic to me? Do I have heightened awareness of how I consume liquids with my meals and snacks? Refresher: Lots of Water & Liquid Restrictions-- Am I eating protein in a ratio of 2 bites protein to 1 bite complex carbohydrate? (2B/1B Rhythm) Article: Why 'Protein First' helps us lose weight-- Have I found time to include physical activity in my daily routine? -- Am I allowing myself to feel empowered when I make choices that nourish my body and respect my weight loss surgery? -- Am I forgiving lapses in compliance with my guidelines and moving forward to make better choices the next time? If this process wasn't all about learning each of us would have walked away from bariatric surgery and got it right the first time around. But it is about learning, about getting some things right, about messing some things up, and about trying harder the next time. We don't give up on our children as they are growing up and taking some lessons in the school of hard knocks. So let's not give up on ourselves or one another. We can do this! Come on! I'll race you to the front of the class! ~Kaye Bailey
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Greetings!
Happy New Year! Thank you for joining me for our first 5 Day Pouch Test Bulletin of 2013. I do hope your holidays were meaningful and inspired. And perhaps you are feeling a sense of excitement as we start this new year. I certainly am happy to start fresh in 2013 and have my sights set on dedicating myself to healthy behaviors and living well. Over the holidays I found myself managing my diet and health more emotionally than clinically or medically. By that I mean eating to feel happy and celebrate (when I wasn't hungry) and eating for comfort during times of stress (when I wasn't hungry). I ignored the reality that food is fuel and providing my body the correct food at the right time is the appropriate way to manage my medical condition of obesity. It seems insane that I re-learn this lesson every holiday season!
But here we are, a fresh new start. Most WLS patients recall very well the research we did prior to surgery, the questions and answers, and the learning. As a group we are above average knowledge seekers. So it stands to reason that along the way, well after surgery, we again turn to education and learning in support of our weight loss goals. Today let's look at managing our obesity from a clinical approach rather than an emotional reaction. The medical community officially recognizes obesity as a disease. So its time we start doing the same. When we treat obesity as a disease rather than a personal moral failure or emotional weakness we can rationally take the action which brings forth favorable results.
I wish you the very best of health this New Year! You have the power to make this your healthiest year ever - Let's do it together!
CHEERS!
Kaye
"I believe in you.
You deserve to be healthy.
You deserve to be kind to yourself.
You deserve to achieve your greatest level of success with weight loss surgery when you harness your inner resources."
--Kaye Bailey
5 Day Pouch Test Owner's Manual
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Treating Obesity the Disease:
A Clinical Approach vs. Emotional Approach 
Recently in a question and answer session I was asked "What is the single most important advice you give to post weight loss surgery patients?" Well, I was certainly caught off guard by this and on the spot I'm not sure I gave the best answer when I said "Make your own health a priority before taking care of anyone else so that when it is time to care for and nurture others you have the physical and mental strength to do so." I am not original with this advice and it does sound good in a sentence, but how do we do that in the real world of family-work-friends-social-religious-networking commitments?
So, I am taking the opportunity with this 5 Day Pouch Test Bulletin to amend my answer and offer something a bit different, although I do know that we do our best when we are healthy. Knowing this, I suggest we actively pursue an internal peace treaty whereby we separate the medical condition of obesity and/or morbid obesity from our moral character and personal self-worth. In 2010 I wrote an article that explains this better:
"I Am Not Obese. Since kindergarten the word "fat" defined me and I actually thought that was who I was because "You are fat" and "I am fat" were constant phrases in my world. By about age 40 I finally figured out that I am not fat. I have obesity, a disease. Have you heard a heart attack patient say, "I am heart disease" or a leukemia patient say, "I am cancer"? We are not the disease. Heart attacks and leukemia are not a moral failure and neither is obesity. We are not the disease! We have a disease that is part of the whole person that makes us the wonderfully unique and powerful person we are." Read the full article.
When we disjoint our moral character, our spiritual self, and our self-worth from the medical condition we are fighting with weight loss surgery we are able to pragmatically approach the control and treatment of the condition without making it personal. We are not bad people if we relapse with weight gain and we are not bad for having this illness in the first place. It just happens to be the cards we were dealt in this life. If you have ever been the parent of a child with an illness you understand the emotional baggage that comes with the news that something is wrong. But you also know that when you take a knowledgeable and deliberate approach in the management of the problem you are better able to function and do the right things.
So, I suggest we take a clinical approach toward our obesity. management. When we lose weight we put obesity in remission. When we gain weight obesity is in relapse. As intelligent beings we can take an active role in managing our remission by using our experience and the knowledge we glean from others. We can return to the behaviors that worked shortly after surgery to help us lose weight. Behaviors that are not supportive of our health can be considered and replaced. We have opportunities every day to improve our health and enjoy the pleasures good health brings.
Please consider this if you are using the 5 Day Pouch Test to get back on track. Take your knowledge and let it empower you because you are a good and worthy person. You are not your disease. I have met enough of you, my WLS Neighbors , to say this with complete conviction. You deserve to be your very best - obesity be damned for getting in the way!
You Can Do This!
Kaye
5 Day Pouch Test Featured Articles
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 Food for Thought:
Comfort Eating is Okay IF....
 | | Cup of Soup |
From the moment we were born food has provided comfort to us. It is natural that we are compelled to reach for food when seeking comfort. This is not a character flaw: this is the human condition. Weight loss surgery does not take away our intrinsic human need to be comforted with nourishment. WLS gives us a second chance to rethink the type of nourishment we reach for when seeking comfort. Gone are the days of empty calorie comfort snacking. We are better served with a warm cup of soup or a delicious meal of perfectly-cooked protein and vegetables. Sweet berries or fruit provide far more nourishment and comfort than convenience store snacks and they come without the post-noshing guilt. So I say, indeed, comfort yourself with nourishment: it is human nature. Just use wisdom in selecting your comfort foods.
When Comfort Eating Leads to Obesity Relapse
Pot of Soup
Never underestimate the comforting power of a healthy well-made soup: it is your best weapon in the battle against the Carb Monster. Use any fresh vegetables that you like. Saute them in a scant amount of olive oil which will help your body absorb the nutrients and then simmer in reduced sodium chicken, beef, or vegetable broth until nice and tender Serve yourself some delicious goodness one cup at a time and feel the love.
Carb Monster Soup Recipes
Focus:
Practice mental presence during the 5 Day Pouch Test. Be mindful of all you eat, how you move your body and observe your energy levels and patterns. Be completely aware of yourself and identify the things that are working and helping you to feel refreshed and alive. Use the 5 Day Pouch Test journal to record your experience and focus on learning about yourself. Awareness is not selfish, it is part of the process of understanding so that we may improve our health and wellness. Carry this focus forward to Day 6 and continue to treat your body in a kind and healthy manner and avoid stepping back into the the self-loathing and unhealthy behavior that brought you here.
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| Featured Recipe: Cooking with Kaye
Simple White Bean Soup
Approved for Days 1 & 2
During the winter I make this often for my lunch. With the pantry ingredients on hand it comes together quickly and I know it will sit well in my little pouch. Great for days when I don't have time for food upset. Try it - I hope it becomes a favorite for you as well! ~ Kaye
Reprinted with permission from Cooking with Kaye: Methods to Meals.
Page 58.
Simple White Bean Soup
Indy Chef, pantry ingredients, helps resolve Moody Pouch Syndrome (MPS) There are days in our post WLS life when nothing sounds appealing to eat and nothing will sit well in our small stomach pouch. Keep this simple satisfying soup in mind for those days. Using convenient pantry ingredients you can prepare a soothing soup in a matter of minutes. It also travels well and reheats easily for a convenient workday lunch.
Ingredients:1 tablespoon olive oil ½ white onion, diced 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning 1 (15-ounce) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained 1 (14.5-ounce) can reduced sodium chicken broth ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese Directions: In a 2-quart saucepot heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and cook and stir until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in Italian herb seasoning blend. Add drained great northern beans and broth. Bring to a slow simmer and continue to simmer for 5 minutes: season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls or mugs and top each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.
If a soup puree is desired, after soup has simmered 5 minutes use an immersion blender to puree soup or blend soup in batches in blender, returning to pot to keep warm.
Nutrition: Serves 3. Each 1-cup serving provides 253 calories, 19 grams protein, 8 grams fat, 32 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams dietary fiber.
Try This: To include more vegetables sauté a diced carrot and one stalk of sliced celery with the onion. ~ In place of the Italian herb seasoning use 1 or 2 tablespoons of fresh pesto to flavor your soup. ~ Make a double batch for a family meal; serve with crusty bread..Page 58, Cooking with Kaye: Methods to Meals
5 Day Pouch Test Recipes | LivingAfterWLS Recipes
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Thank you for being a loyal Neighbor of LivingAfterWLS. We are proud to serve you in your weight loss surgery journey.
Sincerely,
Kaye Bailey
LivingAfterWLS, LLC
The health content in the LivingAfterWLS website is intended to inform, not prescribe, and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice and care of a qualified health-care professional.
LivingAfterWLS, LLC
Kaye Bailey, Founder
Evanston, Wyoming 82931
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